Grate for boiler-furnaces



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheen 1.. R. S, WATSON.

GRA'IE FOR BOILER PURNACES.

No. 358,004.v Y Patented Feb. l5, 1887. FIG.

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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

RfS. WATSON.

GRATE POR BOILER FURNAGBS.

N0. 358,004.` l Patented Feb. 15, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.Y

ROBERT S. VATSON, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

GRATE FOR BOILER-FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.,358,004, dated February 15, 1887.

Application filed February 12, 1886. Serial No. 191,701. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, ROBERT S. VATsoN, of Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grates for Boiler-Furnaces; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in furnace grates, and though adapted more especially for use in connection with a steamgenerator for housewarming which has been invented by me and which is the subject of another application for United States Letters Patent N o.l 175,053, filed August 22, 1885, may be advantageously employed in any furnace.

My invention has for its main objects to provide for use, in connection with any suitable fire-chamber, a grate which shall be more efficient in its operation than those heretofore employed, and which at the same time can be more readily shaken and dumped, as circumstances may require, while at the same time it will be comparatively simple in construction and not liable to derangement of its parts; and to these main ends .and objects my invention consists in the novel devices and combinations of devices which will be hereinafter more fully described, and which will be more particularly pointed out in the claims of this specification.

To enable those skilled in the art to which myinvention relates to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe more fully the construction and operation of a grate embracing my invention and carried out in that form in which I have so far successfully practiced the latter, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top or plan view of a steam-heating apparatus for dwellings, such as made the subject of my pending application, and having embodied in it a grate made according to my present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the lower portion of said heating apparatus at the line x m of Fig. l, and showing fully the novel construction of grate. Fig.y 3 is a partial vertical section of the grate and its supporting devices, the Section being taken in a plane at right angles to that of the section shown at Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a skeleton plan or top View of the grate proper disconnected from the boiler apparatus for the purpose of more clearly showing the grate device. edge-view of the oscillatory rim portion of the grate and its supporting device and the shakershaft, illustrating more particularly the geared connection by which the rocking of the shaft is made to effect the rotation back and forth or oscillation of the riln portion of the grate. Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section somewhat similar to that seen at Fig. 3, but showing the supporting device for the rim part of the grate and having the shaker or'rockshaft and its connections removed. Fig. 7 is adetail face or plan view of the casting for supporting the grate-rim detached from the other parts of the apparatus.

In the several figures the same part will be found designated by the same letter of reference.

My improved grate is composed, as shown, of a central conical portion, g, and a surrounding rim-like part, h, the central portion being mounted fast on a rock-shaft, i, by the turning of which shaft said central portion, g, may be tipped or dumped, as shown, for instance, at Fig. 3. The rin1like portion h is mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane, (after the fashion of a turn-tabla) and is geared to the rock-shaft i by means of a sector, o, on said shaft and a curved rack, p, on said rim portion in such a manner that whenever the rockshaft is turned to tip the central portion, g,of the grate the part h of the gratewillbe partially rotated in one direction or the other in a horizontal plane. By this peculiar construction a grate is produced which is very efficient in keeping the bottom of the fire clear, as occasion requires, one' which will not clinker up easily, and one which will easily dump the iire and which will not get out of working order.

The casting composing the part h is held in place by the overhanging lips s of the frame fr of the grate, as clearly shown, which lips, however, permit said part L to freely turn or oscillate on an imaginary vertical axis of motion coincident with the vertical line passing Fig. 5 is a detail frontor through the apex of the portion g when the latter is in its horizontal or normal position. The frame x is supported in position by three projections, (marked x in the drawings) which projections iit into sockets on stove or furnace body.

The rock-shaft z', which is properly supported to turn freely in a bearing at its rear end, as seen, extends forward of course, so that its other end projects suitably through the bearing at the front end of the furnace, and has its extremity square or otherwise suitably shaped to receive the usual shakerbar, which is to be applied in order to oscillate or shake said shaft whenever it may be desired to shake the grate.

It will be observed that the main body or portion h of the grate being concave or dishlike, while the central portion, g, is conical or highest at the middle, not only is a greater surface presented for the action of the air on the bottom of the mass of fuel than if the same mass were supported by a horizontal grate, but the combined arrangement of these two portions h and y, when in theirnormal positions, produces the effect of supporting the burning mass of fuel in such shape that there is a natural tendency for it to escape through the grate at the circular line Where the faces of the convex and concave portions of the grate meet, so that the least tipping of the portion g, so as to form an opening of escape, will lead to an easy discharge of the ashes and cinders to be shaken out. This advantageous effect is further carried out by the rotatory movement ofthe portion h, while the oscillatory movement of the portion g on a horizontal axis so alternately lifts the fuel first on one side and then on the other as to prevent any clogging that might lead to difficulty in the moving parts always resuming their normal relative positions after the shaking down of the re.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a boiler-furnace grate, the combination, with the outer rim-like and rotatory portion h, having its fire-bearing surface inclined from its outer perimeter inwardly and downwardly, the centrallyarranged conicallyshaped portion g, having its apex slightly above the level of the said perimeter of the portion h, the said rim-like portion and the said conical portion being arranged to operate together, substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. In combination with the rotatory rim-like portion 7L and the conical central portion,g, the rock-shaft i, mounted in suitable bearings and fastened to the portion gof the grate, asector,o, secured rigidly to said rock-shaft, anda curved rack, p, on the rim-like portion h, the whole constructed and operating in substantially the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of February, 1886.

ROBERT S. WATSON.

In presence of- HEzEKrAr-I M. GILLETT, Monnis L. COURTRIGHT. 

